Combination sail and paddle boat



June 23, 1959 R, E, wRlGHT 2,891,260

COMBINATION SAIL AND PADDLE BOAT Filed April 12, 1957 v *fllllllllll' @3331,

INVENTOR.

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United States Patent COIVIBINATION SAIL AND PADDL'E BOAT Roy E. Wright, San Diego, Calif., assignor of one-third to Harold J. Boetel and one-third to Lee P. Bowman, both of San Diego, Calif.

Application April 12, 1957, Serial No. 652,546

1 Claim. (Cl. 9-2) This invention relates to a boat construction and more particularly to the construction of a small boat adapted for aquatic sports and recreation which may be propelled by either a sail or paddle.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a small light boat which is easily handled and transported.

Another object is to provide a boat which is extremely buoyant and manuverable in the water.

A further object of this invention is to provide a small boat which will not easily capsize or sink and provides a maximum of safety for the user.

Another object is to provide a small boat of light and inexpensive construction.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

For a better understanding of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof and in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the boat partially in section,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the boat, and

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

With reference to the drawing the boat comprises an elongated body member preferably composed of a buoyant material such as wood, which is relatively thin and has a lower edge 11 curving upwardly from its center to ends 12 and 13 thereof as shown. Body 10 has upper edge portions 14 and 15 extending inwardly from ends 12 and 13 which are preferably in a common plane and a straight horizontal central edge portion 16 extending between and positioned below edge portions 14 and 15. A rigid deck member 17 shaped as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, is attached to edge 14 transversely to body 10 and has an end 18 extending inwardly above edge portion 16. Member 17 may be secured to edge portion 14 by any known fastening means but is preferably provided with a groove 19 (see Fig. 3) into which edge 14 is inserted and secured by means of a water proof glue. A second rigid deck member 20 shaped as shown in Fig. 2 is attached to edge 15 in a manner similar to that in which member 17 is attadhed to edge 14, and has an end 21 extending inwardly above edge portion 16. An annular buoyant member 22 which is preferably a resilient inflatable annular tube such as is .used in automobile tires, is disposed on edge 16 with its center in alignment therewith. Member 22 has an outside diameter equal to the length of edge portion 16 and a sectional diameter of such size that as it is inflated the portions thereof positioned between edge portion 16 and ends 18 and 21 of deck members 17 and 20 are expanded into engagement therewith. Attached to edge portion 16 across the approximate center of member 22 is a seat 23 shaped as shown in Fig. 2 which is secured to edge 16 in a manner similar to that with which deck members 17 and 20 are secured to edges 14 and 15 and which is adapted 2,891,260 Patented June 23, 1959 to support the boat operator. Deck member 17 is provided with a sleeve 24 extending upwardly therefrom the sleeve having an end flange 9 resting on member 10 and arranged to receive the end 25 of a small mast 26 which has a sail 27 composed of thin flexible ma terial attached thereto. Sail 27 is provided with a small boom 28 secured to the lower edge 29 thereof which holds the sail in extended position. A line 30 is attached to the extending end 31 of boom 28 to control the position of the boom and is of sufficient length to extend to a fastener 32 attached to deck member 20. An oar 33 having a blade portion 34 and a handle 35 is pivotally secured to deck member 20 by means of an oarlock 36 positioned intermediate the ends of handle 35. Oar 33 is used to guide the boat as a rudder when the boat is being propelled by sail 27 and may also be used to propel or guide the boat by sculling or by using it as a paddle.

In using the boat the operator sits astride seat 23 inside member 22 from which position sail 27, line 30 and oar 33 are within easy reach. As may be seen, in this position the operator is surrounded by buoyant member 22 so that the boat is not easily capsized and, due to the buoyancy of the entire structure, is, therefore, a safe and reliable boat.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A boat comprising a thin unitary long wooden body serving as a vertical keel and a deck support, said body having a height many times its thickness and a length substantially greater than its height, the entire lower edge of said wooden body curving down from each end toward the center thereof to provide a deep submerged thin keel portion, said wooden body having two spaced apart deck-supporting end portions and a central portion having a long horizontal upper face whose ends are connected with said end portions by two concave faces; a pair of thin rigid deck members secured to the tops of said end portions and extending transversely thereto, the opposed inner ends of said deck members extending inwardly beyond said concave faces and the width of said deck members being substantially greater than the thickness of said wooden body; a round airinflated flexible tube having aligned portions resting on the upper face of the central portion of said wooden body, said tube being inflated to a degree suificient to cause aligned peripheral portions thereof to press outward against said concave faces and also to cause portions of said tube to press against the inner ends of said deck members; and a horizontal seat of substantial Width secured to the upper face of the central portion of said wooden body, the width of said seat being substantially less than the inside diameter of said inflated tube to provide Wide spaces at opposite sides of said seat to pass the depending legs of an operator sitting on said seat when the boat is resting on a. body of water with the lower portion of said flexible tube submerged therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,819,787 Nobbs Aug. 18, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 561,245 Germany Sept. 2, 1932 1,025,277 France Apr. 13, 1953 OTHER REFERENCES Boat Builders Handbook, Science and Mechanics Publishing Company, 1955, pp. 166-167. 

